Chasing 365 after being 1-0 up in the series, India A lost opener Sai Sudharsan (12) towards the end of day three, with 23 runs on the board. Tushar Deshpande, who was sent in as the nightwatch stitched a 32-run partnership with opener Aayush Pandey before the latter was trapped in front by Liam Scott for 19.
Deshpande (52), who has a first-class hundred to his name, then added 60 along with Devdutt Padikkal for the third wicket on the morning of the final day. Deshpande departed in the 46th over, with his dismissal resulting in a collapse as India A fell from 131-4 to 199-7 soon after.
Yash Rathod and Shams Mulani steadied the innings, taking the score to 284, before the two fell in the space of eight runs. The score was 292-9 when Nachiket Bhute and Praful Hinge got together, with the tough task of navigating the last three overs for a draw.
They held their nerves, staying unbeaten on 20 (21 balls) and 0 (6), respectively, to force a thrilling draw, as India A registered a 1-0 victory in the two-match unofficial Test series. As for the Australia A side, Scott scalped five wickets in the second innings.
Also read: All-rounder hits maiden first-class 50 from No.10 to secure vital first innings lead in Irani Trophy
Image credits: Yash Rathod / Instagram
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.